


Raising Bucky

by Music



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Adopted Bucky Barnes, Adopted!Bucky, Angst, Avengers Endgame, Avengers Endgame Spoilers, BAMF Peggy Carter, Bucky needs a hug, F/M, Hurt Bucky, M/M, Protective Steve Rogers, Steve Needs a Hug, Stubborn Steve Rogers, Time Travel, Young Bucky, clueless Steve, clueless bucky, different realities, eventual humor?, new timelines
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2020-02-15 22:05:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18678244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Music/pseuds/Music
Summary: Part of the Adopting Bucky challenge.Usually when you say goodbye to your best friend so he can go time travel into the past and go live his best life, you don't expect him to come back with the supposed woman of his dreams and a miniature version of yourself. You especially don't expect to be asked to raise him.Steve never went back to go live his life with Peggy, he had another task in mind.Once upon a time Bucky Barnes was The Winter Soldier, the most feared assassin in the world and now, he's a glorified babysitter, looking after his very own Mini- Me. What could possibly go wrong?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, so a group of us got together and decided to do this fun little challenge. The Adopting Bucky Challenge. There are no rules really, just that Bucky is adopted by Steve and Peggy and he can be any age.  
> Yeah... I like to make things challenging I guess and it well, kinda went in a different direction. I have another story for this challenge where Steve and Peggy adopt an adult Bucky and hilarity ensues but for now, you get this one. 
> 
> I know I haven't posted anything on this site in a long time but now I'm kind of stuck in the MCU verse and I don't want to leave so thought I would give this another go. See what happens, see if I can still write decent stuff. So here's the beginning, I was going to wait until I was done writing it but well, I thought I would see how it goes, so sit back and enjoy the ride. 
> 
> HERE THERE BE ENDGAME SPOILERS!!! BEWARE!!!!!

Bucky Barnes could only smile sadly as his best friend, Steve Rogers, disappeared. He knew what Steve had planned to do. Steve wanted to go into the past and he couldn't fault his best friend for that, even if his own heart was breaking. At least Steve had asked him to come but he had declined. There was nothing left for him in the past, knowing what he did now. He had amends to make and he felt it was only right to do it here. 

 

So he kept silent as Steve disappeared, allowed himself another small smile when the five seconds passed and Banner exclaimed that he had flown past the time stamp, and said nothing while Wilson yelled to get him back. He turned away, knowing there was no point in staying any longer, now he had to figure out where to go from here.

 

He only walked a few steps when Banner let out a cry of triumph and Wilson finally went silent. Bucky could feel a small charge in the air, something was different and he put his hand in his pocket, his hand wrapping around a knife. He was unsure of what, exactly, had been transported to them in exchange for Steve but he was a soldier through and through and ready for whatever it was. He spun around, knife at the ready, only to drop it in shock to see Steve standing on the platform, looking only slightly older. One arm was firmly wrapped around Peggy, who stood staring at them, the ever present stubborn tilt to her chin.

 

But that wasn't what shocked Bucky. No, he could deal with Peggy Carter living in their time but what was so shocking was who Steve held in his other arm. A young boy with dark brown hair and shockingly familiar blue eyes. The young boy turned to rub his face shyly against Steve’s shoulder before turning to look at all of them with curiosity.

 

Bucky finally tore his eyes away from the familiar child to stare at Steve who was looking right back at him, a pleading look on his face, his eyes begging him to please understand.

 

"What the hell?" Bucky whispered.

 

… … ...

 

That had been two days ago and Bucky had yet to be in the same room for an extended period of time with the child Steve had brought back or Steve, for that matter.

 

What the hell had Steve been thinking?

 

“So, you recognize the kid?” Sam asked, walking into his room.

 

“There is such a thing as knocking.” Bucky grumbled, glaring at the other man and not answering the question.

 

“Would you have let me in?”

 

“No.” Came Bucky’s petulant reply as he crossed his arms over his chest.

 

“I rest my case. Steve’s been asking about you.”

 

Bucky groaned, letting his head fall back as he stared up at the ceiling. “I don’t want to see him.”

 

“Did you know what he was going to do?” Sam asked.

 

“Yes.” Bucky replied. “At least, part of it. I knew he was going to return the stones and then go into the past, he asked me to go with him but I said no. I didn’t know he was going to bring Peggy or that kid back.”

 

“You and I both know that kid has a name.”

 

Bucky lifted his head to glare at Sam as the other man moved to the end of the chair he was sitting on, resting his arms on his knees. His expression was serious as he stared at Bucky.

 

“I think you need to talk to them. Their story was… pretty bizarre but it makes sense.”

 

“It’s insane.” Bucky cried. “What the hell was Steve thinking?”

 

“Everything I read about Captain America and everything I learned about Steve Rogers, is he would go to any lengths to protect you.”

 

“Then why did he leave?” Bucky exploded.

 

Sam leaned close, his eyebrows furrowing as he looked at Bucky. “Is that what this is about? Are you mad that he left?”

 

Bucky stared at him, unsure how to answer. He wasn’t mad per say, more hurt than anything else. No matter what, they always seemed to be losing each other. First when he was sent to war, then when he fell off the train, then his journey to becoming Bucky again after his stint as the Winter Soldier. Steve might have been an integral part of reminding him who he was but after he regained a little bit of himself, Steve was ripped away again. When they were reunited in Wakanda, he had been snapped out of existence and Steve had to go another five years without him. Maybe it was Steve that no longer needed him. He was ready to leave him and start a new life. But if that was the case, why did he come back and with that kid, no less.

 

“I’m mad that he came back with that kid. He can’t just go into any damn timeline he pleases and change it because he thinks it’s for the greater good. That young kid had a family, he had friends and they must all be going out of their minds.”

 

Sam sighed as he stood up. “You really need to listen to their story.”

 

Bucky let his head drop back against the couch again. “Or I can stay in this room by myself and not come out. Maybe that Strange guy will give me a free trip back to Wakanda.”

 

“Talk to him.” Sam pushed, letting one hand reach down to give Bucky’s shoulder a small squeeze before leaving him alone.

 

Bucky let out another groan as he went back to staring at the ceiling. Yeah, Wilson was probably right but that didn’t mean Bucky had to like it.

 

“Hey, Sam said you were in here.”

 

He lifted his head to see a nervous looking Steve shifting from one foot to another as he stared down at Bucky on the couch.

 

“Of course he did.” Bucky muttered, gesturing to the seat Sam had recently vacated. “Where else am I going to go? There’s a good chance I’m still wanted all over the world.”

 

“At least if you’re trapped inside, the old Avenger’s tower is a good place to be trapped. It has everything you need and lots of privacy, everyone basically gets their own apartment.” Steve explained.

 

The ex-assassin shrugged. Steve was right and Pepper had been very generous in opening up the tower to all the people who had returned from the snap and had nowhere to go for the time being. The privacy part was pretty good in helping him hide the last few days but apparently that luck had run out.

 

“I don’t know about the privacy part since everyone keeps finding me here.” He grumbled.

 

Steve raised an eyebrow. “Do you want me to leave you alone?”

 

“And if I said yes?”

 

The blonde grew quiet as he looked down at his hands. “I’m not leaving.”

 

“You did already, it’s really not that hard to do it again.”

 

Steve sighed. “If you didn’t want me to go, then why did you say it was okay?”

 

“What was I supposed to do? Throw myself at you? Beg you to stay? Remind you that you were supposed to be there ‘til the end of the line? Since I met you on that bridge and broke away from HYRDA, you have looked after me. How was I supposed to ask you to stay when I’ve been such a burden?”

 

“You’ve never been a burden.” Steve argued. “You spent years looking after me before the Serum. Was I a burden to you?”

 

“No.”

 

“You were never a burden, Buck. I would’ve stayed if you wanted me to but I had to go back and fix things.”

 

“With Peggy? Congrats Bud, looks like you did what you set out to do.”

 

Steve looked confused before realization dawned on his face. “Buck, that’s not what I-”

 

“You’re screwing something up somewhere, Rogers.” Bucky interrupted him. “Bringing Peggy to this millennium. Bringing that kid here? It’s not going to go unnoticed.”

 

“You can’t even say his name.” Steve said with a small, amused smile.

 

“Because it’s fucking weird.” Bucky snapped.

 

“Just- I’ll tell you everything, okay?”

 

Bucky glared at him before finally nodding, motioning for Steve to start but the other man only stood up and went for the door.

 

“I’ll tell you everything.” Steve promised, “But first, there’s someone who wants to meet you.”

 

“Steve.” Bucky said, warning in his voice.

 

“He’s excited to meet you. He calls you Uncle Bucky.”

 

“Jesus.” He said, wiping his metal hand over his face. “That is also fucking weird. I can’t be his uncle.”

 

“You won’t be for long.” Steve muttered before clearing his throat. “We kind of had to adopt him and he’s too young to really explain much. But everything’s still open to interpretation. We’ll figure it out. For now, I want you to meet Jamie.” Steve grabbed the little boys hand and pulled him in to the room, coming to a stop in front of Bucky.

 

“I hated being called any form of James.” Bucky reminded him, still not pulling his hand away from his face.

 

“Yeah, after you met me, when I refused to call you anything but Bucky” Steve reminded him. “We figured calling him Jamie from the beginning would be less confusing.”

 

“Hello Uncle Bucky.” Jamie said with a small lisp. “Mr. Steve said you were his bestest friend in the whole wide world and we had to come here to be with you.”

 

Bucky squeezed his eyes tight, ignoring the prickling behind his eyes, willing himself not to cry. He was once the most feared assassin in the world, so how could a five year old boy reduce him to an almost crying mess.

 

“Mr. Steve, does he not like me?” Jamie asked.

 

“No, no Jamie, that’s not it at all.” Steve assured him, dropping to one knee so he was eye level. “He’s just happy that we’re here and safe, right Buck?”

 

Bucky ground the palm of his hands into his eyes, taking a deep breath before he pulled them away, forcing a small smile to his face as he stared into those familiar blue eyes, so familiar because those eyes were his. Except they still held their innocence, untouched by all the pain and grief he had been through.

 

“Hi Jamie, it’s nice to meet you.” Bucky finally said holding out a hand.

 

The little boy grinned and reached up to shake his hand before dropping it and throwing his arms around his neck in surprise. Bucky’s eyes widened briefly before he wrapped his arms around Jamie. His eyes watered and he didn’t even try to brush the tears away as his smile turned genuine and he pulled the miniature version of himself closer, silently promising that he wouldn’t let anything bad happen to younger Bucky. Not if he had anything to do with it.

 

… … …

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Because I tried.” He finally snapped, looking up at Bucky, anger in his eyes. But it also contained something else, something dark and deep that haunted Steve. “I tried so many god damn different ways in so many different realities and I kept failing. Every. Single. Time.”
> 
> Bucky finally learns what, exactly, Steve had been up to. And it's not really what he had expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok, I usually do write longer chapters but I wanted to get the beginning and explanations out of the way and I think they will be getting a bit longer. oh and the main angst, had to get that out. and just kinda make sure ppl are interested before I put my all into it.
> 
> this is my 1st ALL MCU story, my first time, jumping into the Stuckyness and the first time some of my readers actually know who I am behind the pen name on FB so it's given me all sorts of anxiety. 
> 
> ANYWHO, again, have another small chapter before I turn this thing up. if i messed anything up, please let me know, I'm trying here lol

Bucky hugged that little boy like he was the last piece of his former innocent life and in a way, he was. This was Bucky, back before the depression, before nights of worrying whether Steve would live through the night, before worrying where their next meal would come from. This was Bucky before war had taken away the rest of his innocence, before he was turned into a soldier and sent out to kill other men, some a lot younger than him. This was Bucky before he was captured in Azzano, rescued by this new version of Steve, before that fateful day on that train when he fell to his supposed death, only to be found and turned into a killing machine. This was the sweet little Bucky he had missed being.

After Steve extracted Jamie from Bucky’s arms, Peggy arrived to pick the little boy up. She stepped into the apartment and Bucky immediately stood up. His Ma had instilled manners in him and even HYDRA couldn’t wipe them out. A part of him was glad to see her, despite that voice in his head that didn’t want her there, didn’t want her monopolizing all of Steve’s time because he wanted Steve, with him. And wasn’t that a thought he needed to explore further. But it had been a long time since he had seen Peggy Carter and she still looked as gorgeous as the day she had walked into the pub with the red dress on.

“Carter.” He said by way of greeting. 

She stepped up to him, a corner of her mouth lifting as she looked him over from head to toe, reaching up to brush imaginary lint off his shoulders as her hands moved down his arms, stopping at his hands to give them a small squeeze. She paid no attention to his vibranium arm.

“You’re looking well, James.” She told him. “It’s good to see you here, all grown up and doing well.”

“Glad you’re here too, Pegs. Must be a bit of a shock jumping so forward in time.”

She let out a small hum as she stepped back, reaching out to grab Jamie’s hand. “Steve has done a spectacular job of preparing me for it, though I must say some things are still a shock. I’ll let you two talk. Do make sure you come for dinner James. Steve has told me everything but it will be good to catch up.”

“Of course.” Bucky promised, his eyes drifting back to Jamie who had tucked himself against Peggy’s side. “We’ll see you later little man.” 

Jamie grinned, waving as Peggy led him out of the room.

“Man, I forgot how cute I was when I was younger.” Bucky noted as soon as they were alone. 

“I forgot how you could charm your way out of most anything.” Steve said with a snort.

Bucky shook his head with a small smile as he sat back on the couch, his expression turning serious. He had spent the last few days avoiding Steve just so they wouldn’t have this conversation, but now that he was here, Bucky decided he had to know it all. “Why’d ya do it Steve? Why did you take a young me away? My parents must be going out of their minds.”

Steve rubbed the back of his neck, one of his nervous tells, Bucky remembered. 

“I didn’t have a choice.” Steve muttered. “Look, I need to start at the beginning for you to understand but this was the only way. Trust me, I know, I tried god knows how many other ways before Peggy and I figured this out.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I don’t know where the miscommunication happened but I never went back in time to meet up with Peggy, that came later.”

“Then why…?” Bucky trailed off, confused by what Steve was saying. 

“I went back to save you, Buck.”

The brunet’s eyes widened as he stared at Steve in shock. “What? Steve, I’m okay, I’m here.”

“But I needed to save you. I needed to know that there was a Bucky out there who hadn’t fallen from the train. Who wasn’t captured and brainwashed and turned into an assassin. I knew all it would do would create another timeline but maybe that could’ve been the timeline where you lived out your life after the war. Met someone, fell in love and had a good life. You deserved it, even if you, now, wouldn’t get that life, I knew that I had to try. Maybe it doesn’t make sense but I had to.”

The wetness that had seeped out of his eyes while he had hugged Jamie, threatened to return and he cleared his throat, doing his best to keep it at bay. 

“Then how did you end up with Mini- Me?”

Steve flushed, one hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck. “I hit a few snags. I realized I needed help and that’s when I went to find Peggy. I knew she would have more ideas that didn't include me busting onto the scene and constantly mucking things up.

Bucky’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of snags?”

“The kind where, no matter what I tried, I couldn’t save you. Someway, somehow, you ended up captured and, in most instances, dead.”

“Jesus Christ.” Bucky muttered. “Don’t you think that would’ve been enough of a warning to leave well enough alone?”

Steve raised an eyebrow at him. “When have you ever known me to do that and just give up?”

“Stubborn punk.”

“I had to save you.” He repeated. “I had to know there was a Bucky out there who had a good life.”

“So you kidnap the kid version of me to make sure it happens?” Bucky exploded. “What about my parents, Steve? My sister? God, she wasn’t even born yet. What about future you? You'll need me there to look after you. What's going to happen to you if I'm not there?"

Steve smiled faintly as he looked down at his hands, once again clenched together. “The reality I took you from, or timeline or whatever, you don’t have to worry about me.” He sighed, looking up at Bucky again, his eyes pleading with him, not wanting to say it.

“Why?” Bucky asked anyway, his heart tightening in his chest.

Another sigh. “I died during birth there.”

Even though Steve was right in front of him, staring him in the face, Bucky’s stomach still dropped. He couldn’t imagine a world without Steve Rogers in it. One where they had never met and the thought of that almost made him glad that Steve had brought Jamie back here, except something was still wrong.

“What about my family, Steve?”

Steve looked away, his eyes growing distant as he stared out at the city skyline. 

Bucky groaned, unsure if he wanted to even hear about it now. 

“We found you in an orphanage.” Steve quietly told him. “It took us some time to track you down. There was an accident and your parents-” he stopped to clear his throat, unable to go on and Bucky could do no more than stare in shock. 

He hadn’t seen his family since he went off to war but knowing that something awful had happened to them, that some version of him had been left alone, that his younger sister would never be born… he had no words.

“Peggy came up with the brilliant idea to adopt you. We posed as a couple and did what we had to, to adopt you.”

“I’m five years old, how do you know I wouldn’t have lived in that timeline?”

“Because I tried.” He finally snapped, looking up at Bucky, anger in his eyes. But it also contained something else, something dark and deep that haunted Steve. “I tried so many god damn different ways in so many different realities and I kept failing. Every. Single. Time.”

“Steve, Stevie.” Bucky shuffled closer to him, reaching over to place a hand on his shoulder. “You didn’t have to do that. I’m here now. We would’ve made do, we always make do. I would’ve been fine if you had just stayed here.”

Steve shook his head, wiping at the tears that had appeared. “But I wouldn’t have. No, I had to do it Buck, you need to understand. Please, I had to save you. I couldn’t keep failing you.”

“C’mere, Punk.” Bucky whispered, wrapping his arms around the taller man and pulling him in closer. “You had a rough time on your trip to the past, didn’t you?”

“I kept watching you die. I kept failing you. Anytime I would try and change something, you would still die another way or HYDRA would still sink their claws in you. I was ready to tear each and every world apart to save you until Peggy thought going back to an even younger version of you and removing that possibility just might work. But all these timelines I created." He sighed and gave his head a small shake, a rueful smile on his face. "Bruce spent the last 2 days yelling at me about it. Peggy finally shut him down, he’s terrified of her now.”

Bucky smiled, imagining the scene in his mind. Peggy Carter was a formidable lady when she wanted to be and he never wanted to be on her bad side. 

“You could’ve stayed here with me.” Bucky said instead. 

Steve sighed. “That was the plan. I just- I wanted to save you. I’ve hated myself every day for letting you fall off that train. But when I was done, I was going to come back. I was always going to come back to you, Buck.”

“You’re so stupid.” Bucky mumbled against his shoulder. 

“I’m not-”

But Bucky cut him off. “You are. You tried to save me, Steve. No normal person should’ve survived that fall so I don’t blame you for not coming to look for me. And just because you didn’t, doesn’t mean you have to prove to everyone that you can. I know you would’ve.”

“I had to show you that I-” Steve stopped clamping his jaw shut and shook his head. “You’re safe. Jamie’s safe.”

“So you adopted a kid?” Bucky said with a grin as he finally released Steve.

The blond let out a soft snort. “Yeah, back in 1922. We need to get documents for him in this timeline and year.”

“And you’re sure keeping him here is the best thing?”

Steve nodded. “I watched you die over and over and I couldn’t handle it anymore and it didn't matter what I did. Peggy, well she had some ideas but none of them worked, bad things still happened so she had the brilliant idea to go and find you when you were younger. We actually found a version of Howard and Hank Pym to help us find a version of you that would need the help. They somehow came up with some device to do it, too. Then Peggy came up with the idea that as soon as we adopted you, or rather, Jamie, we bring you back here to give you the best chance possible. We remove you from the possibility of HYDRA getting you or you having to go to war. Basically, I went to a lot of places I shouldn’t have and I really did make way too many timelines and new realities and I really don’t blame Bruce for yelling at me like he did but I don’t regret it because I saved you and I’m going to make damn sure that Jamie grows up and has a good life.”

“So you’re really staying?” Bucky asked in a small voice, wanting to hear it again.

“It was always my intent to return at some point.” Steve reiterated. “I always planned to come back to you.”

“What about Peggy? Won’t that timeline be a mess without her?”

Steve cocked his head to the side, staring at him intently. Bucky felt like there was more Steve wanted to say, something he wanted to confess but he gave his head a small shake, choosing to stay quiet instead. 

“Peggy just wanted to help me. She wants to go back eventually. She’s going to marry someone great and live a good life and I’ve come to terms a long time ago that it wasn’t with me.”

“But it could be.” Bucky pointed out. 

Steve shook his head and now Bucky cocked his head at the flush that spread across his best friend’s cheeks. Steve was definitely hiding something. 

“Not anymore. That time has passed.”

“So she’s going to go back and what? You’re going to stay and raise Mini- Me? By yourself?”

“Actually, I was kind of hoping-” The blond paused and rubbed the back of his neck. “Bucky, I- I kind of wanted- I know it’s a lot to ask but I’d love it if you’d raise Jamie with me.”

Bucky stared at him with wide eyes, than burst out laughing. 

… … …

**Author's Note:**

> The whole time travel thing can get very confusing when you try and wrap your head around it, so just remember, in this story, it's what I seem to understand from it. If i'm wrong you can tell me but we all do the best we can.


End file.
